According to the American Forest & Paper
Association’s October 2008 Printing-Writing
Report, total printing-writing paper
shipments decreased 12.7 percent
in October compared to October 2007.
The October year-ago decline is the
largest year-ago decline this year,
followed by an 11.2 percent decline
in August. United States purchases
of printing-writing papers dropped
14.1 percent in October versus a
year ago. Total printing-writing
paper inventory levels remained essentially
flat, decreasing 300 tons from September.

Uncoated mechanical (UM) shipments
declined for a second consecutive
month following eight consecutive
months of increases. UM shipments
decreased 2.5 percent when compared
to October 2007. UM shipments have
had six months of double-digit increases,
two months of single-digit increases,
and now two consecutive months of
slight declines. United States purchases
of UM are down 8.1 percent when compared
to October 2007. UM inventories decreased
9.7 percent, or 8,900 tons, from
September, the lowest inventory level
of the year.

Uncoated free sheet (UFS) shipments
decreased for a tenth consecutive
month. UFS shipments fell 10.7 percent
compared to October 2007, on the
heels of nine year-ago declines.
The latest decline is the third double-digit
decline for the year, which leaves
this year 6.7 percent below last
year. United States purchases of
UFS were also down, declining 9.5
percent when compared to October
2007. UFS inventories decreased 0.2
percent compared to last month, a
drop of 2,000 tons.

Coated free sheet (CFS) shipments
register a second double-digit decline
for the year. CFS shipments dropped
by 15.4 percent compared to October
2007. The decline is the largest
in a series of year-ago declines
as all of 2008 has trailed 2007 thus
far, putting year-to-date shipments
down 7.3 percent. United States purchases
of CFS decreased 20.6 percent compared
to last October. CFS inventories
decreased 0.5 percent compared to
September, a decrease of 2,300 tons.

Coated mechanical (CM) shipments
decreased the most in October, its
sixth consecutive decline. CM shipments
fell 19.4 percent when compared to
October 2007. In spite of the large
year-ago decline, year-to-date shipments
are down 5.9 percent compared to
last year. United States purchases
of CM were down 23.0 percent compared
to October 2007. CM inventories increased
3.7 percent, or 9,900 tons, from
last month.